tidy

play

adjective ti·dy \ ˈtī-dē \

Definition of tidy

tidier; tidiest

1 a :neat and orderly in appearance or habits :well ordered and cared for

b :methodical, precise

a tidy mind

2 :large, substantial

a tidy profit

3 :adequately satisfactory :acceptable, fair

a tidy solution to their problem

4 :properly filled out :plump

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tidily

play \ˈtī-də-lē\ adverb

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tidiness

play \ˈtī-dē-nəs\ noun

See tidy defined for English-language learners

See tidy defined for kids

Examples of tidy in a Sentence

He has always been a tidy person.
She earns a tidy salary.
They paid a tidy sum for the house.

Recent Examples of tidy from the Web

A few folks here and there started to drop ironweed plants in the middle of their otherwise neat and tidy gardens.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Ironweeds. How this old field weed turned into a garden gem," 18 Aug. 2017
In a tidy sequence lasting all of four seconds, the rookie quarterback showcased his athleticism, his poise keeping his eyes downfield and his accuracy.

— rich campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Developmental trials await Mitch Trubisky, Mike Glennon in Bears' 1st exhibition," 9 Aug. 2017
These would swathe the floor of their home, to the delight of her toddler, and to the amused bewilderment of her tidy-minded Czech husband.

— The Economist, "Adding upObituary: Maryam Mirzakhani died on July 14th," 20 July 2017
The occupied properties are unexpectedly tidy and well organized.

— sarah dilorenzo, The Seattle Times, "Battle for downtown Sao Paulo pits squatters against mayor," 12 July 2017
There's a growing awareness that the Revolution was not as neat and tidy a story as we were led to believe.

— ishaan tharoor, Washington Post, "The Declaration of Independence was a plea for help," 4 July 2017
His tidy one-bedroom apartment in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, speaks for itself.

— kaya laterman, New York Times, "Helping Those Who Hoard," 30 June 2017
The million-year-old droppings are part of two hyena latrines, areas where the bone-crunching carnivores piled up their waste to mark territory and keep the rest of their habitat tidy.

— National Geographic, "Ice Age Hyenas Left Clues About These Ancient Human Sites," 26 June 2017
Provide several dishes of water for the dogs to drink throughout the evening, scatter some balls and toys around the area, and make sure to have extra baggies on hand to keep things neat and tidy.

— lauren rothman, Bon Appetit, "How to Throw a Summer Harvest Dinner Party," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tidy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tidy

Middle English, timely, in good condition, from tide time

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

tidy Synonyms

tidy

verb

Definition of tidy

tidied; tidying

transitive verb

:to put in order

tidy up a room

intransitive verb

:to make things tidy

tidying up after supper

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tidier

noun

See tidy defined for English-language learners

Examples of tidy in a Sentence

I tidied the house before they arrived.

Recent Examples of tidy from the Web

As the house is being tidied up for sale, some extremely disturbing mementoes are unearthed.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "'Appropriate' A Topical, Dysfunctional Drama At Westport Playhouse," 21 Aug. 2017
Aubrey’s parents often stop by the site to tidy it up, gathering candy wrappers, fast-food straws, cigarette packs and other litter that collects around the sidewalk and now the bench.

— stephen hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Aubrey Clark's parents: Slow down, save a child's life," 18 Aug. 2017
Think of sleep as a time when the body tidies up its hormonal systems.

— olga khazan, The Atlantic, "The Uneven Health Toll of Sleep Deprivation," 3 Aug. 2017
Over the last month, Rome has tidied up two failing banks in the Venice region and the even bigger and longer-running headache of Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

— geoffrey smith, Fortune, "Italy Delivered a Gargantuan Bank Bailout: Why It’s Time to Worry," 24 July 2017
The woman was tidying her home when a Eugene detective called.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Legacy of untested sex assault kits: 'I knew he was still out there'," 23 July 2017
Tommy Smith then tidied up when Poloz poked a close-range shot slowly past Marinovic.

— graham dunbar, The Seattle Times, "Russia eases to 2-0 Confederations Cup win over New Zealand," 17 June 2017
Mark and Pat Roser planned to redo the flooring and had begun tidying the basement where their youngest son would live.

— keith bierygolick, Cincinnati.com, "Mason athlete was 'genuine,' who'd 'love people where they were at'," 28 Apr. 2017
Its creditors’ committee sought a fixer, someone to settle debts, tidy up the balance sheet, and get the NRG train back on the rails.

— david whitford, vanityfair.com, "The Green Evangelist Who Scared the Energy Business Straight," 21 Feb. 2017

First Known Use of tidy

1821

tidy

noun

Definition of tidy

plural tidies

1 :a usually compartmentalized receptacle for various small objects

2 :a piece of fancywork used to protect the back, arms, or headrest of a chair or sofa from wear or soil

See tidy defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of tidy from the Web

YOUR PROPERTY TIDY Have the lawn mowed, the plants watered and the pool cleaned.

— ronda kaysen, New York Times, "How to Protect Your House When You’re on Vacation," 14 July 2017
Buy Photo Erica Tunnell’s tidy row home in the Overbrook section of the city was swarmed Saturday by environmental activists, students and public health experts.

— chris mondics, Philly.com, "Activists, community groups test for lead," 24 June 2017

First Known Use of tidy

circa 1828

TIDY Defined for English Language Learners

tidy

play

adjective

Definition of tidy for English Language Learners

: clean and organized : not messy
: keeping things clean and organized
of an amount of money : fairly large

tidy

verb

Definition of tidy for English Language Learners

: to make (something) tidy : to make (something) clean and organized

tidy

noun

Definition of tidy for English Language Learners

: a container for storing small items

TIDY Defined for Kids

tidy

play

adjective ti·dy \ ˈtī-dē \

Definition of tidy for Students

tidier; tidiest

1 :well ordered and cared for :neat

2 :large, substantial

a tidy sum

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tidiness

noun

History for tidy

The English word tidy comes from the word tide. Tide first meant “time,” and tidy first meant “timely, at the proper time.” Soon tidy came to mean “in good condition.” The current meaning “neat” developed from this sense.